Robust high-connected rare-earth MOFs as efficient heterogeneous catalysts for CO₂ conversion

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Inorganic Chemistry

Background:

• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable properties for various applications.
• Rare-earth MOFs are of interest due to their unique electronic and catalytic properties.
• Developing stable MOFs for challenging chemical transformations remains a key research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel rare-earth MOFs with enhanced chemical and thermal stability.
• To investigate the catalytic performance of these MOFs in the cycloaddition of CO2 and epoxides.
• To explore the structure-activity relationship in these catalytic systems.

Main Methods:

• Construction of MOFs using trinuclear rare-earth secondary building units (SBUs) and linear dicarboxylate linkers.
• Characterization of the resulting frameworks using techniques such as X-ray diffraction and BET analysis.
• Evaluation of catalytic activity in the cycloaddition of CO2 and epoxides under varying conditions.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized two series of chemically and thermally stable rare-earth MOFs.
• The frameworks exhibit a 12-connected, three-dimensional structure with an hcp topology.
• The MOFs possess a high density of Lewis acidic sites, demonstrating significant catalytic activity.
• High yields were achieved for the cycloaddition of CO2 and epoxides under mild reaction conditions.

Conclusions:

• The developed rare-earth MOFs are robust and effective catalysts for CO2 utilization.
• The presence of Lewis acidic sites is crucial for the observed high catalytic performance.
• These findings open avenues for designing advanced MOF catalysts for sustainable chemical processes.